Low clouds retard surface cooling at night better than clear skies because:

The correct answer is A. The clouds absorb and radiate infrared energy back to earth.

Low clouds are made up of water droplets or ice crystals. These particles absorb and radiate infrared energy back to Earth, which helps to keep the surface warm. Clear skies, on the other hand, allow infrared energy to escape into space, which causes the surface to cool more quickly.

Here is a brief explanation of each option:

• Option B: The water droplets in the clouds reflect infrared energy back to earth. This is not the main reason why low clouds retard surface cooling at night. While water droplets do reflect some infrared energy, they also absorb a lot of it. The absorbed energy is then radiated back to Earth, which helps to keep the surface warm.
• Option C: The clouds start convection currents between them. Convection currents are caused by differences in temperature. Warm air rises, while cold air sinks. This movement of air can help to distribute heat more evenly, but it is not the main reason why low clouds retard surface cooling at night.
• Option D: The clouds are better conductors of heat than is the clear night air. This is not true. Clouds are actually poor conductors of heat. The water droplets or ice crystals in clouds are very small and far apart, which makes it difficult for heat to transfer from one particle to another.
• Option E: The formation of the clouds releases latent heat energy. This is true. When water vapor condenses into liquid water, it releases latent heat energy. This energy helps to keep the surface warm. However, this is not the main reason why low clouds retard surface cooling at night. The main reason is that clouds absorb and radiate infrared energy back to Earth.